James Marsden, Shanina Shaik and Suki Waterhouse lead global celebrations for second annual International Scotch Day

EDINBURGH, FEBRUARY 6th 2018: Scotch, the world’s favourite whisky, will be celebrated across the globe on Thursday February 8th with a series of red carpet, star-studded events to mark International Scotch Day.

International Scotch Day is a celebration of everything that gives the world’s favourite dram its unique character, flavour and personality - and invites adults everywhere to raise a glass of Scotch in celebration on the day. International Scotch Day is held during the week of the birthday of one of the world’s most influential Master Blenders - Alexander Walker the son of John ‘Johnnie’ Walker who brought Scotch to the world.

This year’s celebrations will be bigger than ever, taking place in over 70 countries worldwide, almost doubling the volume of last year’s inaugural celebrations and truly getting the world talking, thinking and enjoying Scotch. Large-scale marquee events will take place in India, Mexico, The Philippines and South Africa involving consumer and media engagements throughout the day and red-carpet star-studded parties by evening. Events, PR, social media, broadcast, e-commerce, sampling, in-store and in-bar activity are planned, and all designed to drive excitement about Scotch.

People can participate by visiting their favourite bar and enjoying a Scotch with friends, or posting on social media using #LoveScotch. For those Scotland-bound, Diageo’s 12 distillery visitor centres will open their doors free of charge on 8th, 10th and 11th February to explore behind the scenes of some of the world’s most iconic Scotch whisky brands such as Johnnie Walker Blended Scotch and Glenkinchie, Talisker, Oban, Dalwhinnie and Cardhu Single Malts. To sign up for a free standard tour, visit www.diageo.com

Scotch is a drink that’s been cool since forever, with a timeless style & swagger that’s unmistakable and it was in this spirit that actor James Marsden, supermodel Shanina Shaik and actress Suki Waterhouse were invited to lead a series of special celebrations to celebrate 2018 International Scotch Day.

Shaik will celebrate International Scotch Day in Johannesburg, Marsden will travel to Manila and Delhi & Waterhouse will be in Mexico City to celebrate the day.

"I can't think of a better place to be than in Mexico City for International Scotch Day”, said Waterhouse. “Scotch has always been my go to drink and I have such an appreciation for its history and complexities"

Marsden said, “I’ll be celebrating twice, in two exciting locations, Manila on Feb 6th and Delhi on Feb 8th.. Scotch has always been one of my favourite drinks and I’m excited to travel to these two incredible cities to experience International Scotch Day with my fellow Scotch enthusiasts”.

When asked to describe her favourite thing about Scotch, Shanina Shaik said, “I love that it's a drink that's withstood time. It's gone from a classic drink to one that mixologists can modernize with delicious ingredients”.

Ronan Beirne, Global Brand Marketing Director at Diageo said: “Last year’s International Scotch Day was a huge success and this year we wanted to turn up the volume and make it even more of a celebration with our three global ambassadors and events in many more markets.

Beirne continued, “We chose to shoot the campaign creative at the iconic Cambus Cooperage against a backdrop of casks representing a tradition of craftsmanship that dates back centuries, alongside these three stylish personalities enjoying a Scotch together. A perfect way to show that Scotch is cool, and made to be enjoyed whenever and wherever.”

The LoveScotch campaign encourages those who choose to drink, to do so responsibly.

#LoveScotch and #InternationalScotchDay.

ENDS

ENDS

Press@diageo.com

+44 (0)208 978 2749

About Diageo

Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands across spirits, beer and wine categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, J&B, Buchanan's and Windsor whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness.

Diageo is a global company, and our products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the London Stock Exchange (DGE) and the New York Stock Exchange (DEO). For more information about Diageo, our people, our brands, and performance, visit us at www.diageo.com. Visit Diageo’s global responsible drinking resource, www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice.